Lingual Frenectomy: Case Report

Abstract

The lingual frenulum is a fibrous band that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth or the alveolar process. When this fibrous band not degenerates, the tongue is not separated from the floor of the mouth, leading to a condition known as ankyloglossia in which the membrane under the tongue is too short or can be inserted very next to the tip of the tongue, hindering its protrusion. This can cause anatomical-functional alterations in other structures of the mouth, alterations on the language, self-cleaning function and difficulty by the breastfeeding in infants. An 8 years old male patient went to the Orthodontic Clinic of the Academic Area of Dentistry, UAEH. His mother referred that he had troubles to talk. He was reviewed and referred to the clinic of oral surgery of this institution for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of the lingual frenulum. An ankyloglossia was diagnosed and was proposed the frenectomy and genioplasty surgical treatments using the conventional technique with local anesthetic. The proposed technique was safe, effective and the goal of the surgery was achieved.